Post by Paul CahillNot a UK specific question but I'd like the British view.
Regards
Paul
If you are starting from scratch then you may as well go for Vista. If you
already have MCE 2005 (like me) then I personally see zero point spending a
lot of money to upgrade for zero new features, a new user interface, and one
or two bug fixes.
[In other words, for the UK they are almost equally bad.]
With regards to your other questions, Microsoft do not officially support
any of the following (along with others I won't bother to list)
DVB-C (cable)
DVB-S (satellite in standard resolution)
DVB-S2 (HDTV via satellite)
DVB subtitles (for DVB-T, DVB-C, DVB-S, or DVB-S2)
DVB teletext
MHEG5 interactive services (the red button)
They don't even provide UK support for MSN Remote Record for goodness sake!
Note: As Microsoft do not support (yet) DVB subtitles AT ALL, they are
currently discriminating against the hard of hearing. Remember analogue TV
has ALREADY been turned off in parts of the UK and Europe.
Users and even third party developers have become so fed up with the almost
total lack of progress from Microsoft that they have come up with their own
solutions. It is therefore possible to get a DVB-C or DVB-S tuner and use it
with MCE 2005 or Vista (they 'pretend' to be a DVB-T tuner which is
supported by Microsoft).
See http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319927
Basically for DVB-S the current best solution involves getting the FireDTV
(it has the best drivers).
Allegedly Microsoft are working on an update for Vista Media Center which
will add some or all of the following
DVB-C (cable)
DVB-S (satellite in standard resolution)
DVB-S2 (HDTV via satellite)
DVB subtitles
DVB teletext
MHEG5 interactive services (the red button)
This seems to be well behind schedule (quel surprise) but might just stagger
out by the end of 2008.
With regards to Microsoft Media Center controlling a 'real' Sky box. The
official way involves using a Microsoft IR emitter which is never going to
be 100% reliable. You could look at this product instead
http://www.skyeye.force9.co.uk/skyeyem.htm which does not use Infra-Red it
actually uses the same system as the Sky Magic Eye remote extenders.
With regards to Sky Anytime. What a complete and utter waste of time. It is
ghastly, it is so burdened by DRM as to be practically unusable. I was
mainly interested in using it to access SkyOne shows when travelling but
while many movies can be got free via Sky Anytime, nearly all the SkyOne
shows are only available for an additional fee (on top of your existing Sky
contract).
Note: Currently the even more ghastly BBC iPlayer uses the same underlying
software as Sky Anytime.
Note: Also Sky Anytime and BBC iPlayer will (whether you like it or not) use
your outgoing bandwidth to send programs you have downloaded to other users.
If you have a capped Internet account then you could run out of your allowed
usage.
Note: The BBC iPlayer does not work in Vista, and as the BBC have announced
a new system called (at the moment) Kangeroo it may well be that iPlayer
will NEVER work in Vista. Likewise last I heard from Sky was that Sky
Anytime also did not work in Vista.
My theory for the choice of the name Kangeroo for the new BBC, ITV and
Channel4 download service are the following (modified) lyrics from the Rolf
Harris song...
Tie me Kangeroo down (with DRM) sport.
Tie me Kangeroo down (with DRM) sport.